William duffy



(No Model.)

W. DUFFY.

WOOD BLOCK FLOORING.

In E F di Z1.

"' N PETERS. Photo-Lilhugmpher. Washington. D. C.

UN Iran Srrrrns PATE T @FFICE.

WILLIAM DUFFY, OF BERMONDSEY, COUNTY OF SURREY, ENGLAND.

WOOD-BLCCK FLOORING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,098, dated January31, 1888.

Application filed December-21,1885. Serial No. 186,319. (No model.)Patented in England August 27, 1885, No.10,158; in

France October 20, 1685, No. 171,767, and in Belgium December 2, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM DUFFY, a subjeet of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at 66 Storks Road, Bermondsey, in the county ofSurrey, England, have invented certain Improvements in \Vood'BloekFlooring, (for which I have applied for a patent in Great Britain onAugust 27,1S85,No. 10,158, as also in France on October 20,1S85,No.171,767, and in Belgium December 2, 1885,) of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improved method of laying and securing thewood blocks or briquets, such as are used in the formation of thefloorings of the interior of edifices and in lieu of ordinary boardedflooring.

The objects of my improvements are to insure that wood-block flooring,when laid in accordance with my invention, shall be reliable as re gardsimmunity from the wood blocks or briquets aforesaid becoming loosened,and at the same time the system which I adopt results in a structuralformation free from interstices, and consequently rendering it a matterof impossibility (practically speaking) for damp to penetrate, or forfoul air or vermin to accumulate. I attain these objects in thefollowing manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a sectional View illustrative of my improved system;Fi 2, a plan view showing the substratum and foundationalbonding-blocks; Fig. 3, a detailed view, in section, illustrative of oneof the modes hereinafter referred to of securing the flooring-briquetsto the substructural bonding-blocks. Fig. 4 is a detailed perspectiveview of one of the floor ing-briquets; and Fig. 5, a perspective view ofan alternative form of foundational bonding-block to that shown in Figs.1, 2, and 4.

Similar letters are employed to denote like parts throughout the severalviews.

The substratum or bed of concrete and eement, AB, is prepared,generally, much in the manner usually adopted for the reception of thesuperposed wood briquets C, but disposed at suitable intervals in thearea intended to be covered over with the wood briquets aforesaid. Iinsert and bed or build in with the substratum A B aforesaidbonding-blocks D, of wood, for the purposes hereinafter mentioned.

The wood which I employ for the briquets G, as also for thebonding-blocks D, I thoroughly season before use, so as to insureimmunity from shrinkage when the flooring is laid, as also to preventthe destructive effects of dry rot, and with a view to the effectualtying or bonding together of the wood briquets O, I form holes orrecesses E, preferably of circular configuration, in the sides and endsof the briquets O, and into which holes or recesses I introduce, in theoperation of building up or forming the floor, pins or plugs F,preferably of wood, Figs. 1 and 4, said pins or plugs being, of course,of corresponding sec 6 tional shape to that of the holes or recesses Einto which they are entered. Further, I thoroughly secure to theembedded foundational. bonding-blocks D such of the flooring-briquets Cas are superposed thereon. One method of accomplishing this is shown atG, Fig. 1, and another at H in the detailed view, Fig. 3; but I do notconfine myself to the particular device to be adopted under this head.

Before the flooring-briquets are laid they 7 are dipped into apreservative adhesive compound while the latter is in a heated fluid orsemi-fluid state, with which not only the under surface of each briquetbecomes coated, so as to form a hard and fast joint with the concrete Soand cement substratum A B,but which takes up and enters into thelongitudinal shaped grooves a formed along the bottom ofthe sides of thebriquets, as shown at I), Fi 1. Thus an additional keying or bondingtogether ofthe whole system ensues. Hence, in accordance with myinvention, the flooring becomes solid throughout, presenting an even andimmovable structural formation frce from interstices, thereby preventingthe penetration of 0 moisture or the accumulation of foul air or vermin.

The surface ofa wood-block floor constructed in accordance with myinvention may be washed or scrubbed without the risk of affecting any 5other part than the actual flooringsurface to be cleansed.

I am aware that prior to the date of my invention wood flooring-blockshavebeen formed with a groove, such as at a, and also that an adhesivepreservative film, b, has been introduced between the top of the cementand concrete substratum A B and the under surface of the wood briquets.I therefore lay no claim to these features by themselves, but

What I do claim as my invention,and desire 5 to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. Ina wood-block flooring, the combination of a substructure ofconcrete, A B, bondingblocks D, embedded therein, flooring-block 0,having dowel-holes E, grooves a, and dowels 10 F, fastening G, and acoating of preservative adhesive composition, substantially as setforth.

2. In a wood-block flooring wherein the blocks are mutually sustaining,the combination of a concrete substructure, intermittent I5non-continuous bonding-blocks embedded in said substructure, and doweledfloor-blocks, some of which are secured to thebonding-blocks by suitablemeans, substantially as set forth.

3. In awood-block flooring, the combination 20 of doweled floor-blocksO,having grooves a,intermittent non-continuous bonding-blocks D, and alayer of preservative adhesive composition, as set forth.

, WILLIAM DUFFY.

Witnesses:

JAMEs STEVENSON, ALFRED MELHUIsH.

